Where is this Occurring?

Stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was first reported in Florida in 2014.

Since then, outbreaks of SCTLD have been confirmed in the Caribbean off Jamaica, Quintana Roo (Mexico), St. Maarten, St. Thomas (USVI), Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos Islands, Belize, St. Maarten, St. Eustatius (Netherlands), St. John (USVI) and Grand Bahama. The map shows the first known appearance of the disease in each location through time. Information will be updated as it becomes available.

Click on a link below for more details of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease in these Caribbean countries

2014 – First reported off the coast of Miami-Dade County in 2014, the outbreak of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) has spread along Florida where over half of the Florida Reef Tract has been affected – over 96,000 acres.

July 2017 – The first signs of what was later recognized as SCTLD along the Jamaican north coast occurred in several Meandrina jacksoni colonies in July 2017, followed by some Dendrogyra cylindrus and Siderastrea siderea in the fall.

July 2018 – On July 3, researchers from UNAM and CONANP discovered a reef near Puerto Morelos, Mexico to have a severe outbreak of coral disease affecting similar species and exhibiting similar patterns as those in Florida.

October 2018 – Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease was first discovered on St Maarten’s coral reefs in October 2018. A 60% infection and mortality rate of the most susceptible species were found in the Nature Foundation’s March 2019 surveys at the Man of War Shoal National Marine Park.

January 2019 : South Caicos – Dying corals were first observed in the Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea Park in January 2019 by staff at the School for Field Studies (SFS). By March it was realized that stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) was responsible for this unusual mortality.

June 2019 – Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) was first seen by Blue Ventures staff on June 21, 2019 in the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve and has still only been reported in this area of northern Belize.

August 2019 – on August 13, 2019, Marine Park Rangers from the St. Eustatius National Park Foundation (STENAPA) discovered signs of stony coral tissue loss disease (SCTLD) on patch reefs in the Northern Reserve.

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